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When the parents of a child have not been married a Petition for Paternity must be filed and litigated (or settled) to obtain custody and visitation orders. The failure to proceed with a formal action allows the possibility of one parent to take or move with the child to a different area when there is a dispute about parental contact time. Once the relationship is over, a case should be filed to prevent later acts that can become very expensive to rectify.

You need to open a "UPA" case, otherwise known as a Uniform Parentage Action. As part of establishing parentage, you can request custody orders (i.e., physical and legal custody, and visitation to the "non-custodial" parent. There are a number of forms you need to file with the court to establish parentage and custody/visitation orders. You can contact your local county court's legal self-help center (look it up on the court's website) and ask for their free assistance, of better yet, if you can afford a lawyer, then hire a local family law lawyer to process your case (and advise you along the way). Good luck!

The best way to seek and get custody, if you can afford it, would be to retain an experienced Family Law Attorney to represent you. If you can't afford an attorney, you will need to file a Paternity case under the Uniform Parentage Act and litigate against your former boyfriend. If he makes a good living, you may be able to obtain an attorney fee order to assist in paying your attorney's fees. You should at least consult an experienced Family Law Attorney to determine your options and their costs, and you shouldn't delay.

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